A socket can be used to attach a device such as a packaged semiconductor device to a printed circuit board (PCB). The typical loading required for a so-called land grid array (LGA) socket to enable contact deflection generates lateral device (e.g., package) displacement driven by contact-to-device frictional forces. Package lateral displacement may continue until the device (e.g., package) comes in contact with the socket sidewall. This loading force and lateral displacement can be fairly significant, and can cause damage.
As semiconductor devices such as central processing units (CPU) have increasing pin counts, the enabling load required by a traditional CPU socket is proportionally increasing. Current socket technology provides a single contact height and shape. This limitation is mainly due to current manufacturing process setup and the requirement of a generic socket that is not custom to a given device's pinout. Furthermore, compressive load requirements for high pin count sockets (with stamped metal contacts) increases with the additional pin counts and resistivity required in advanced semiconductor devices.